Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Dear Devotees and Friends,
thank you for having had the courtesy to acquire these songs.
Since I joined the Hare Krishna Movement, in 1973, I had cultivated
the desire to offer a few songs in praise of my Spiritual Master A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acarya of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Actually one of the songs had been written right at the time of my
joining the Movement, but for nearly four decades I practically did not
have the time or the concentration to practice or do anything in
relation to music.
A short while ago, realizing that my body is nearly 60 years old,
and that my senses will soon become too weak to do anything, I resolved
to try to put something down, and here is the result.
For the recording I just used GarageBand and very simple
instruments, and I sung and played two or three times at the most for
each song.
The devotees of the Lord are very merciful, though, and they can
extract the nectar of rememberance of Srila Prabhupada’s Lotus Feet even
from an however mediocre performance like mine. Thank you.
Srila Prabhupada ki jay !
Madhusevita das

Attached to You

Living inside plastic bodies, spending years caring for them,
calling them “family” and “kinsmen”, gliding with them down to hell.
Morbid senses with no mercy, keep us stuck as if in glue,
only way to be protected – to become attached to You…
Groups of maniacs called “researchers” scan this matter in and out,
search for cosmic mozzarellas, soups, black holes or primal life.
Foolish humans wallow thinking, no reaction will come through,
only way to be protected – to become attached to You...
To become attached to You, to become attached to You
To become attached to You, to become attached to You
When we think we made some progress, how complacent we become!
Profit, fame and adoration make us think we are advanced,
going so far even to judge You, we become the lowest fools.
Only way to be protected – to become attached to You….
To become attached to You, to become attached to You
To become attached to You, to become attached to You

Hard to love

This life’s been a big trial, just from the start:
as soon as I turned three, my mother died,
my father couldn’t stay, and went away…
Every night I dreamt that she’ll be back,
at all times I felt so lonely and sad…
Then years and years went by, such useless life;
stupidity and the search for girls and hip,
so called friends and a young and loving wife...
It all got burned within no time,
disillusion grew within my mind…
I had tried to love, offering myself to such extent,
but it all got dispersed, I gave my love and got betrayed,
so I resolved, it’s so hard to love let’s give up trying,
just carry on with life.
Didn’t know Your mercy was awaiting there to touch my heart:
two of Your angels came and picked me up,
by Krishna’s grace I took shelter of You.
I grasped Your Feet trying to love You, but my hardened heart
wouldn’t allow me to, how inconsistent was my love.
Still You are so kind, never left me alone during this trial,
always sustaining me.
Now I can say with full convinction that because of Your affection
it is not really hard to love, when my love is meant for You, Srila Prabhupada,
You are not really hard to love, You are not really hard to love, Srila Prabhupada.
Wish that all may realize, how to love You is easy and nice.

Celestial Mayapur

We get the wonderful news, Prabhupad will come soon,
the joy here in Mayapur Dham, fills up the land and the sky.
The phone rings, “Swarupgunj 31”, He has left Calcutta just now,
they’ll stop shortly at the mango grove, and reach here right before noon…
Everyone runs around to make sure that everything’s in place;
the roads are spotlessly clean, and the room has been duly prepared.
We all rush outside the main gate, the sweetest kirtan builds up,
while all the sannyas dance in bliss, from far approaches the car…
And we run, and we laugh, and we cry, and we dance,
all our lives are fulfilled ‘cause of Srila Prabhupada.
We quench our thirst drinking through the eyes the compassion in His smiles,
and then we follow the car till it reaches the Candrodoya Mandir.
The car door opens and then He appears, most triumphantly divine,
and He walks with his lion gait filling up with joy our hearts.
Jay Srila Prabhupada ... Jay Srila Prabhupada
Jananivas near the temple door puts the chandan on Prabhupa’s forehead,
we all move towards the altar where He offers His obeisances.
Seeing how Radha Madhava lovingly smile at Prabhupada
our ecstasy knows no bounds anymore.
There is nothing more to be gained
while we dance following Srila Prabhupad here in
Celestial Mayapur, Mayapur Dham
Celestial Mayapur, Mayapur Dham

Duratma saved

Duratma is getting up from bed as the alarm clock rings,
the smelly body of his good wife still lying in bed;
he drags himself into the bath and starts the purging,
then gives himself a vacuous smile right in the mirror.
He rolls into the street to get his transportation,
a multitude of zombies move with him to nowhere;
his place of work a cage to foster his illusions,
he sheds blood, sweat and tears to give his contribution.

Lust, envy and greed are raving through his mind,
he is suffocated by uncontrolled desires;
ahead of him a desolated hostile land,
upon his death he’ll be going down to hell.
Duratma tries to get relief through science and culture,
but then he just becomes the prey of learned vultures;
his only hope is Srila Prabhupada’s compassion,
that can cut through the layers of his degradation.
A graceful figure with a radiant smile
appears and hands over a book to him:
“Dear Sir, this book will surely change all of your life.”
Duratma is stunned – what happens in his heart?

He holds the book and hands over a bill,
then goes right back into his mean routine;
he doesn’t know the simple gesture that he has done
granted him back his immortality.
The supersoul has turned his heart towards devotion,
while Srila Prabhupada’s mercy has just descended;
no more animal birth for this hopeless duratma
because he got the association of Mahatmas.
Now Gaur-Nitai are glancing sweetly at him,
and Radharani is pleased with what he did;
and all the Acaryas there with Srila Prabhupada
are planning how to engage that soul again
away from pain ... eternal gain
Duratma saved, duratma saved, by the books of Srila Prabhupada.
Deevotee in bliss, devotee in bliss, goes out searching
for another soul...

In praise of my Spiritual Master

In praise of my Spiritual Master, I would like to sing a song,
He is so great and I am a disaster, but He saved me all along
‘cause if I hadn’t had His grace, I would have left the human race,
And if He hadn’t been so kind, I could be born a dog or a swine.
The grace of my Spiritual Master is what keeps me going on,
His words and His bodily lustre, Maya’s tricky plans have exposed;
and if it weren’t for His grace, I would have lost this human face,
long pointed nose, hooves and a tail – which kind of birth no one can tell.
Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Prabhupada
Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Prabhupada
For pleasing my Spiritual Master, more convinced I have to become,
the mind is not easy to master, only by His love can she be overcome;
but if I don’t secure His grace, I will be lost and be disgraced,
amongst the crowds another face, going down to hell at a breathless pace.
Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Prabhupada
Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Prabhupada

I shouldn’t have You come save me again

Dear body and mind, so much love I gave to you throughtout my life,
I washed you, fed you, served you and took care of you as if you were myself…
Now that you are old and crippled and almost dying by will of time,
I do recall my Master’s words: “For one’s attached his life will end in pain.”
Oh Srila Prabhupada, You said if one does not complete his course
and then is born again, the Master out of mercy may come down again
to rescue his son, but no……
I shouldn’t have You come save me again,
I shouldn’t have You come save me again…
For so long I was engaged in idle talks and useless thoughts,
I could have better served my
Master, but my mind kept pushing me down…
Now that the end is near I realize I served just lust and greed,
my only hope my Master’s mercy that can liberate even a fool like me…
Whatever time is left I’ll dedicate fully to You, it’s late I
know, I feel ashamed still I should try complete my course within this
present life because…
I shouldn’t have you come save me again, I shouldn’t have you come
save me again…
Please allow me to join You again, to join You again, to join You again;
there’s no place I like to go, the world is void without Your Feet,
please allow me, to join You again.
So still there is a hope, oh Srila Prabhupada,
because of Your unprecedented mercy,
and if I do sincerely try to serve you and love you, then I am sure….
You will not have to come save me again,
You will not have to come save me again…
Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, please allow me at the end of life
to join You again…

Tompkins square dham

Rubber slippers - Lotus Feet walking down the Bowery,
all the bums are giving way to the sweet angelic Saint.
All those who catch sight of Him become suddendly serene,
His compassion puts to rest birth, old-age, disease and death.
Lower East Side, a place of transcendental life,
Lower East Side, where revolution is divine.
Then He goes down to the park, starts to chant beneath the tree,
low-class high-class we don’t mind, this vibration makes all free.
Sweetest ‘Vande ham Sri Gurun’ that attracts even the goons;
portoricans, hippies, blacks are submerged with Holy Names.
Tompkins Square Park, because of Srila Prabhupada,
Tompkins Square Park, you’ve now become an Holy Dham.
His radiant blissful smile, then captures all their hearts;
the hippies dance in bliss at Prabhupada’s beat:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
He took the lowest beings, and gave them matchless gifts,
“Stay High Forever” please, but free from L.S.D.
Compassionately kind, and patient all the while,
no one compares to Him, to Krishna is the most dear.
Jay Prabhupada,You gave us transcendental life,
Jay Prabhupada, now love of God is in our hearts.
No boundaries anymore,Your mercy is everywhere,
that chanting in the park is now all over the world:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.